


perfect flaws

by Narci



Series: See the Forest, Not Just the Trees [4]
Category: Mo Dao Zu Shi, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)
Genre: (as usual), (that one was def too soon...), Angst, Character Study, Cloud Recesses (Módào Zǔshī), Fluff, Gen, M/M, No beta we die like Jiang Yanli, Relationship Study, WangXian, familial ties, wwx fucking shit up, xichen being a good bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:21:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26511313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Narci/pseuds/Narci
Summary: When Lan Xichen first saw Wei Wuxian approach Wangji, he started planning. Wei Wuxian was just what his brother needed. Just the kind of friend that would balance his brother’s reticent nature.-/-character study of wwx by lxc
Relationships: Lan Wangji & Wei Wuxian, Lan Zhan/Wei Ying, lan xichen & lan wangji
Series: See the Forest, Not Just the Trees [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1915600
Comments: 13
Kudos: 142





	perfect flaws

“Thirty-three strikes of the Discipline Whip?” That’s the most severe punishment Lan Xichen has ever seen given out by the elders. And it's for Wangji? His brother? How did this happen?

-/-

“Lan Zhaaaaaaaaannnnn!” Xichen hears as he’s walking with Wangji. His eyes widen briefly while he locates the source of the call. Wangji keeps staring ahead, his shoulders tight with purposeful restraint. Interesting. How does his brother know YunmengJiang’s Head Disciple? Did something happen between them already? It’s been little more than a day. 

“Oh! There are two Lan Zhans!” Xichen laughs softly at that. It’s not the first time he’s been told he and his brother look alike, but it’s definitely the first time someone said it like that. “And he smiles! Who is this imposter?”

“Ridiculous,” Wangji scolds harshly, but Xichen can see the red blooming on his ears. 

“Ehhh? Lan Er-gege? What did I say this time?” While Wei Wuxian’s words imply confusion, Xichen can see a glint of amusement in his eyes and the grin on his face is ever curling, so he must know exactly what he’s doing. 

“I am afraid my brother is simply shy. You are Wei Wuxian of Yunmeng? I am Lan Xichen.” And Xichen bows ever so slightly. He catches sight of a shock-still Nie Huaisang in what seems like the direction Young Master Wei came from. “I would love to stay and chat, but Wangji and I were on our way to an important meeting. It was pleasant to talk to you, Young Master Wei.”

“You, too, Zewu-Jun!” Nie Huaisang stutters as he moves forward to grab his friend’s arm. 

“Ah? You’re leaving? Well, have fun, Lan Zhan! Nice to meet you, Zewu-Jun!” And then Huaisang manages to pull Young Master Wei back to where he emerged from, where Xichen is sure Jiang Wanyin is waiting.

Xichen looks over at his silent brother. Pinpoints the small indicators of Wangji’s mood: red ears, a soft air, and gentle lightning in his eyes. As I thought, Xichen thinks with an internal smirk, interesting.

It is then that Lan Xichen takes it upon himself to help (force) his brother to make his first friend ever. Wei Wuxian is just what Wangji needs. He's perfect.

-/-

Xichen does his best to subtly interfere the entire time Wei Wuxian is at Cloud Recesses to study. Inviting the Young Masters of Yunmeng to help with the Water Ghouls and sending Wei Wuxian to the Cold Springs, when he knows his brother is already there, are excellent examples. Unfortunately, he can’t tell how effective it is before Wei Wuxian is sent home for punching Young Master Jin.

-/-

“Burn it down!”

-/-

He’s on the run. He can’t look back. 

Wangji will be fine, Xichen forces himself to believe.

-/-

His brother killed a Xuanwu with Young Master Wei. Xichen just knew they would work well together! But he doesn’t have the luxury of time to spend teasing Wangji. 

Lotus Pier was just burned like the Cloud Recesses. Except now Lotus Pier is occupied by the Wens and their Sect Leader is dead. Jiang Wanyin, Jiang Yanli, and Wei Wuxian are in the wind… and they’re the only survivors. 

Wangji has never looked so perturbed. Xichen almost wishes he had never pushed his brother to get close to Young Master Wei, but he can’t change things now.

-/-

Jiang Yanli is safe with the MeishanYu. Jiang Wanyin reappears. But Young Master Wei is nowhere to be found. Xichen fears for his brother. Wangji fears for his only friend. They both have regrets.

-/-

Lan Xichen is the leader of the Lan Sect, and there’s a war happening. He shouldn’t be focusing on his brother, but he is. Every time he meets Wangji to discuss strategy, he can see the despair creeping further into his brother’s mind. 

Xichen begins to see his brother less and less. He begins to hear about the righteous HanGuang-Jun. He knows why his brother is seeking out trouble. He knows that his brother is actually seeking out Wei Wuxian. 

(He also knows what people are saying about Young Master Wei. That he was killed by Wen Chao. That he was thrown into the Burial Mounds of Yiling. He’s sure his brother has heard these too.)

-/- 

Finally, after three months of purely rumors, Xichen hears word that Wei Wuxian has rejoined the battle. He’s not dead. Xichen sighs in relief before worrying about the fact that Wangji wasn’t the one to tell him. 

Does he not know? 

No, he must. Xichen needs to get more sleep. He’s starting to overthink things. His brother has never been particularly chatty, especially not about Wei Wuxian, whom Xichen always has to be the one to bring up to gain any information from Wangji whatsoever. It’s not exactly surprising that his brother wasn’t the one to tell him.

-/-

“I want to take someone back to Cloud Recesses...take them back, and hide them away.”

And oh, oh no. Xichen wanted Wangji to make a friend, not fall in love. 

“You only fear that he isn’t willing.”

This can’t be good.

-/-

Young Master Wei becomes indispensable in the war effort. He also founds a whole new method of cultivation. He’s the Grand Master of Demonic Cultivation. 

And Xichen basically set him up with his little brother. 

Oops...?

-/-

“Come to Gusu with me!” Lan Xichen will never forget the agony on Wangji’s face when Wei Wuxian laughs flatly and rejects him again and again and again.

Wei Wuxian was supposed to be perfect for Lan Wangji. But even perfect plans have perfect flaws, Xichen thinks bitterly.

His brother goes back to Gusu all alone. (Xichen is with him the whole journey, but for all intents and purposes, Wangji is alone.)

-/-

Wei Wuxian defends the Wens. Wei Wuxian openly antagonizes the whole cultivation world, but mainly the Jins. Xichen can tell that his brother desperately wants to do something, but he can’t. 

(“Come back to Gusu with me?”

”What, so you can punish me?”

“Wei Ying!”)

Xichen is completely lost. He started this (sure, he never expected his brother to _fall in love,_ but still), but he has no idea where to go from here. 

-/-

Wei Wuxian brings the Wen remnants to Yiling.

Lan Wangji goes home and stays in the Jingshi for two days straight. All Xichen can hear is the trailing notes of a song written for someone who refuses to listen to it. (He doesn't know it’s name. He doesn’t know that Wei Wuxian has already heard it. He doesn’t know anything beyond the vaguest of meanings.)

Wei Wuxian is now known largely as the Yiling Patriarch. 

Wangji looks more desolate everytime he hears that title. 

One day, Xichen is working on paperwork when his brother comes to tell him he’s going night hunting. 

“Where?”

Lan Wangji freezes before whispering, “Yiling.”

When his brother returns, he looks almost more upset. He looks almost more hopeless. Xichen still doesn’t know what to do.

Wei Wuxian misses his sister’s wedding.

Wangji signs off on an invitation for Wei Wuxian to attend Jin Rulan’s Month-Old Celebration.

Wen Ning kills Jin Zixuan at Wei Wuxian’s orders. 

It seems that this makes Wangji’s mind up for him. Xichen is worried. 

The Wens give themselves up. The Yiling Patriarch is nowhere to be seen. (The second time he’s missing at crucial moments, Xichen thinks offhandedly.) 

But then he’s there, in all his horrible glory. Xichen has issues reconciling the man he sees now with the image of Young Master Wei he remembers from the Cloud Recesses.

Wangji fights beside Wei Wuxian at Nightless city. Things get confusing. No one knows what’s going on anymore. Jiang Yanli runs into an active battle. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng make their way towards her, and Young Master Wei causes her death somehow, Xichen isn’t sure about this part, but this is what he hears from others.

Wei Wuxian dies. Alone, despite Wangji fighting to stay with him. 

Xichen blames Wei Wuxian for the suffering of his brother. But he also blames himself.

-/-

_“Thirty-three?”_

-/-

“His name is Lan Yuan. He’s my son.” Is he really? Then why didn’t Xichen hear about him until now? (Xichen has a pretty good guess as to who was taking care of A-Yuan previously, but he’s not going to take another thing from his brother.)

-/-

“Lan Zhaaaannnn! You can’t just keep me here!” Xichen hears this. He only knows (knew) one person who would be so shameless. 

“Young Master Wei.” Xichen restrains his hostility as best he can, but this young man is responsible for thirteen years of his brother’s suffering. (More than that, probably.)

“Zewu-Jun! Nice to see you!” It isn’t nice to see you, Xichen wishes he could say. Instead, he smiles faintly and nods. Seeing Wei Wuxian with Mo Xuanyu’s face is something that will take some getting used to, but knowing that the demonic cultivator can hurt Wangji again any time he wants is so much worse. 

Xichen wishes the demonic cultivator had never been resurrected. 

fin.

**Author's Note:**

> so... i'm a liar... i didn't do WN or WQ b/c LXC pushed both of them out of the way and demanded my attention. tbh, i'm not like a huge fan of LXC, (i don't not like him, but he's not exactly in my top five), but this one was so fun to write, and i got super into it??????? 
> 
> also, this is the longest part so far! yay! 
> 
> i hope y'all enjoy this one too, thank you for reading! <3
> 
> (leave a comment if you wanna lmk what you liked or didn't like! comments are much appreciated! <3)


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